Toy train.



PATBNTED APR, 16

A. W. BENSON.

TOY TRAIN. i APPLIUATIQN FILED JAN. zz, 190e.'

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ADOLPII W.A BENSON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGN OR, BY MESNE v ASSIGNMENTS, TO A. W. BENSON MANUFACTURING CO., OF MINNE- APOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

TOY TRAIN.

Application iiled January 22,

v neapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inToy Trains; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved toy train made up of a plurality of trailing carts or wagons and to this end it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claim. y

The invention embodied in a toy circus train is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is aview in side elevation, showing several of the carts or wagons of the toy circus-train. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the several carts shown in Fig. 1, the bodies of the carts being removed therefrom; and'Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2, but showing the train of carts traveling on a curve.

The carts are shown as provided with flat platforms 1, and each cart has three wheels. The rear wheels 2 are located one on each side of the cart and are loosely journaled on axles 3, secured to the intermediate portion ofthe platform 1. The forward or steering wheel 4 is journaled in a bracket 5, which has a forwardly-extended short pole 6 and is pivotally connected or swiveled to the central forward portion of the platform 1 by means of apivotal connection 7. The forward truck made up of the bracket 5 and steering-wheel 4 instead of having a single wheel might have two laterally-spaced wheels, if desired. To the forwardends of the short poles 6 are attached coupling-links 8. ATo the opposite sides of the rear ends of the platforms 1 are Y attached chains 9, that have considerable slack and are provided at their intermediate portions with hooks 10, that are adapted to hook into the coupling-links 8 of the poles 6.

Specification of Letters Patent.

As illustrated in Fig. 1 bodies of different Patented April 16, 1907.

1906. Serial No. 297,128.

design representing different characters'and figures or articles are placed upon the plat forms of the several cars. For instance, in Fig. 1 a steam-Calliope 11 is placed on the first wagon, a'cage 12 containing a lion and tamer is placed on the platform of the second wagon, and an ornamental body 13 is placed on the platform of the third wagon. This idea of representing the different wagons of a circus paradeand the different animals and other things carried thereby may be carried out to any desired extent until, if desired, all of those things that are usually exhibited in a circus parade may be represented in the toy circus-train.

The described construction of the carts is i such that they will trail-that is, each wagon lwill follow in the path of the head or lead cart. The construction which causes this trailing action is clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, and particularly Fig. 3, wherein it will be seen that the slack chains 9 keepfthe poles 6 turned so as to cause a rear cart to travel the very same curves traveled by a lead or head cart. It is also important to note that the slack chains Q on abrupt curves cause the ends of the poles to move up closer to the rear ends, of the platforms 1 than when traveling on larger curves or curves of less degree, which is an action necessary in order to cause proper trailing of the carts in turning all sorts of curves.

In some instances the ornamental bodies of the carts will be made in imitation of a railway-train, either freight or passenger and including an engine; but bodies of other designs may be employed-such, forinstance, as representations of battle-ships or other vessels, which adapt the train to represent a naval parade.

A very long train of these carts when coupled together, as illustrated in the drawings, will follow each other throughout all sorts of irregular lines of travel without the use of a track of any kind. As a device for the amusement of children this circus-train has high merit. It may beconstructed at small cost and in various designs.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

IOC

A toy train made up of a plurality of trailportions of the steering-chains 9 of forward ing carts having mounted thereon ornacarts in the train, substantially as described. ro mental body portions, said carts having at In testimony whereof I aflix my signature their rear portions slack steering-chains 9, in presence of two witnesses.

and having at their forward. portions piv- ADOLPH W. BENSON. I oted steering-trucks with short forwardly- /Vitnesses: projecting polesI and means for connecting MALIE HOEL,

the poles of rear carts to the intermediate F. D. MERCHANT. 

